On to Cape Cod

After packing up the car the next morning, we headed for Massachusetts, a trek that included a short stopover in Portland for a noteworthy lunch at Duckfat and a sampler pack of Cranberry Island Kitchen whoopie pies for the road. The oh-so-fitting Stephen King’s 11/22/63 kept me company on the long drive, and we rolled into Cape Cod as the sun began to go down. The next morning greeted us with cloudless skies, so we put the top down on my aunt’s Mini Cooper and headed for Provincetown, where there seemed to be no shortage of sand dunes, lighthouses, seafood, fresh air, expansive views, or steps (in the case of Pilgrim Monument). 

Acadia National Park

Having acquainted ourselves with various far-flung corners of the great state of Maine over several days, it was high time that we headed to Mount Desert Island, home of Acadia National Park (and, of course, Martha’s beloved Skylands estate). From the highly coveted popovers at the Jordan Pond House, to the windswept mossy boulders atop Mount Cadillac and the peaceful enclave at Sand Beach, Acadia did not disappoint. Neither did the rainbow that studded the blue skies on our way back to the cabin after our final Maine excursion. 

Ellsworth to Machias

Next, in an effort to take the road less traveled, we headed north to see the sights. This day’s journey included stops at Schoodic Point, where we scrambled along the rocky coastline and got our first taste of the salty air, and Helen’s Restaurant, where we ducked in to warm up over a traditional seafood lunch topped off with the restaurant’s locally-sourced blueberry pie.

Ellsworth to Camden

The weather wasn’t necessarily cooperating with us during a few of our days in Maine, but we didn’t let it stop us from exploring the gorgeous state. A longing to see Camden, likely based on childhood summers spent reading Nancy Thayer’s romantic New England-centered novels, coupled with my mom’s need to experience the famed Lobster BLT at Brass Compass Café took us southward, where we caught our first unhurried glimpses of lighthouses and quaint coastal towns atop Mount Battie (alongside our official trip mascot and tower guard, Flossy).

New England 2012

As evidenced in my last few posts, there’s been no shortage of traveling for this girl lately. My most recent adventure involved a family vacation in New England, where we split our time between a woodsy cabin in Maine, a seaside cottage in Cape Cod and a haunted historic hotel in downtown Boston. Because words can’t describe all that we fit into the trip, I thought I might take a few days to share some of the highlights. First up…

Day Trip 1: Portland to Ellsworth, Maine

No trip to Maine would be complete without a brief pit stop at the LL Bean in Freeport, so we obliged as we made our way from the Portland airport to our remote home base on Green Lake, in Ellsworth. We also took the opportunity to dive into our first of many bowls of clam chowder at the nearby Jameson Tavern, a local favorite since 1779.